


Serenity

by partnerincrime



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space, M/M, Mechanic Alec Lightwood, Pilot Magnus Bane
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-01-08
Packaged: 2019-03-02 01:41:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,022
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13307721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/partnerincrime/pseuds/partnerincrime
Summary: Alec wants to fly amidst the stars. When that dream doesn't work out, he goes to space to find something else - and finds Magnus instead.--If there is one thing that Alec remembers vividly from growing up, it’s that he’s always been enchanted by space.





	Serenity

**Author's Note:**

  * For [bumblebeesknees](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bumblebeesknees/gifts).



> So... this is the last thing before I go into my hibernation until spring. It was meant to be for [Universal Constant](http://archiveofourown.org/works/11711556/chapters/26376414), but I may have gotten a little too attached. Small homages to Firefly and BSG.
> 
> This story is dedicated to [bumblebeesknees](http://archiveofourown.org/users/bumblebeesknees/pseuds/bumblebeesknees). It's a (not-so-secret) throwback to our sci-fi Thursdays, which was truly the start of something epic - probably one of the most defining friendships in my life forged on pizza and potato wedges, so this is my thank you!!

If there is one thing that Alec remembers vividly from growing up, it’s that he’s always been enchanted by space. 

Now, Alec knows full well that this sounds stupid. He knows that in appearance, there isn’t anything _to_ be enchanted by about space because, in fact, it looks like black nothingness – but it’s not. Because it is everything to Alec; it’s more than just a vacuum that sucks up all light and sound, more than just a physical manifestation of quantum entropy – it’s a concept that’s captured him and never let go, the idea that space is the emptiness between things. That he is just a small blip in the universe that is both wide and vast – that he can also play a part in the unending treasure hunt of matter and relativity just waiting to be discovered, squared away in pockets unknown. 

And as he stares deeply from his home planet of Idris into the night sky, it teases him with the allure that he could be there too, _in that emptiness_ – so much so that he falls in love with her, space, with her coldness, her mystery, and wonder. 

And he loves her. The stars in her hair, the planets pinned to her clothes, and her dark, expansive skin. 

So when the day arrives to receive the results of their career assessment tests, Alec is hopeful and anxious and every emotion in between because he wants to be a _pilot_. To be up there with her, space, navigating through the fabric of the unknown. 

He knows that this is it for him, that this is his moment because he’s been training for this since day one – he’s got top marks in tactics, astrophysics, and aeronautics; he has an inherent skill that lets him repair any basic craft nearly blindfolded; and while he’s not as good as Jace, he’s pretty damn good at flying too – second in class isn’t something to be ashamed of, despite his pride insisting otherwise. 

That afternoon when class is done, he runs home and snatches his envelope right out of Izzy’s hands.

In his room, he closes the door, settles himself, and takes a deep breath. 

Then he opens the letter. 

And his soul is crushed when he sees the word ‘ground control mechanic’ typed out simply on the page. 

\--

“ _Hello_ handsome.”

Five years later, when Alec first meets Magnus Bane aboard the _Alicante V_ , it’s in the cafeteria – and he doesn’t know what to think. 

In fact, Alec doesn’t even realize that Magnus is talking to him until he’s just about to take a bite out of his nutrient-enriched vacUpack jam sandwich. A man with piercing eyes and dark hair streaked with maroon slides into the seat across from him, tray in hand. 

“I think it must be fate – something in the stars that brought us together.” The man murmurs. His eyes are very gold. 

The sandwich hovers inches away from Alec’s mouth. “…Excuse me?”

And even though Alec scarfs down his sandwich in record speed just to get away from Magnus’… everything (and hide the blush that stains his cheeks), they are reunited later on that afternoon in the spacecraft hangar, where he discovers that Magnus is a fucking _pilot_ – part of the group of experienced recruits from Arcana, ready to join the fight. 

He’s a little infuriated by it – that this man thinks he can waltz into his life like this; to have everything Alec wants, and continue to ask for more. 

Magnus, obviously, is assigned to Alec’s unit – a long-term replacement for Raj, who took a direct hit from one of Valentine’s blast cannons during their last mission. 

“Well, well, look who do we have here?” Magnus says as he comes over to Alec’s corner of the hangar, eyes twinkling with mirth. “Alexander was it? I’m Magnus. It really must be fate.”

\--

“Alexander! What a coincidence – we also have morning training together!”

Alec though, isn’t convinced that this is fate’s doing – there’s an element of foul play involved in which he knows Magnus has cheated the system, stacked the deck to make it in his favour (and that turns out to _literally_ be the case when he sees Magnus slip a ten-dollar note into Jace’s pocket the next day).

Simulation practice doesn’t go much better either, when it’s apparent how much Magnus wants to get in Alec’s pants. 

“Regroup to combat spread, Magnus,” Alec says through gritted teeth, frustrated as he watches Magnus perform another high G roll to maneuver behind a practice drone, on his terminal screen. 

“I’ll _spread_ however much you want me to, Alexander,” Magnus replies without missing a beat.

Alec’s just glad that no one can see his face right now, as he hears Jace’s loud groan in his headset, and Izzy and Clary breaking into peals of unstoppable laughter.

Not that Alec isn’t charmed by the attention – it’s just something he isn’t used to. He’s used to being in the background.

And it’s not only Magnus who is charming – it’s his fighter too, in the way that _Pandemonium_ (who Magnus affectionately refers to as _Andy_ ) is a hodgepodge mess of different parts from different models soldered together. While yes, it’s the scrappiest hunk of junk that Alec’ has ever seen that he’s sort of surprised when it actually takes off during drills – it’s still so quintessentially Magnus that it feels right. 

To his credit, Andy loves Alec, and as he works his own particular brand of magic, she purrs obediently under his fingers.

“I’m a little bit jealous,” Magnus pouts as he watches Alec slide beneath her undercarriage, to replace the carbon brake discs around the wheels of her extended landing gear. “Of Andy,” he clarifies. 

But if anything, Alec thinks, Magnus has no right to be. Magnus is the lucky one here – since at the end of the day, he’s the one out like a shot through the hangar doors. 

\--

“Shit, we’re taking heavy fire here – fuck– ”

It’s the worst possible scenario imaginable – Alec’s team is flanked on either sides by swarms of Valentine’s shax fighters. They’re fighting hard, but Alec knows it’s a losing battle. 

He’s just about to make the call for them to retreat – his terminal blares warnings at him and lights flash red as he sees shields rapidly deplete – but then he realizes Magnus’ altitude is dropping fast.

“Alec, we need to pull back – oh god, _Andy_ , she’s hit– ” 

Time freezes for a second for Alec as his heart come to a stop. _Not like this._

It’s in this moment where Alec can’t think, he can’t breathe – and the air feels stale in his lungs, choking him out. 

But it only lasts for a second – before everything snaps back to reality and he feels like he’s running, flying, mind everywhere as the world processes around him in slow motion – he’s _Alec Lightwood_ goddammit, the best in tactics, astrophysics, and aeronautics – and he can fucking do this, he thinks, as all the yelling, panic, and fear fades out.

“Iz, Jace – play wing – get behind Magnus, staggered defensive formation, keep your speed. Clary, you need to direct Andy’s movement, her steering’s out.” 

They grunt out a, “Roger,” and move into position.

Alec says a moment later, remarkably calm, “Magnus? Can you hear me?”

Magnus is unusually quiet in his headset. “Yes I can, Alexander.”

“Your power is low – reroute to thrusters and punch it until you’re at the peak of a half-stall turn, so you’ll be on the same plane as the hangar. It’s risky since your steering’s out – and it’s not going to be graceful by any stretch if you can… if you can– ” Alec’s voice stalls in his throat.

“Understood,” Magnus says in the same quiet way, as Alec sees one of Andy’s wings burn up. 

But it must be fate – as they all execute close to perfect and make it – Alec finally releasing the breath he’s been holding as the four fighters “land” horrifically into the hangar, one of Izzy’s wings taking out a gangway and Andy – or what’s left of Andy – misses the runway completely, crashing nose first. 

As Alec hears metal scrape across metal, he throws his headset down and is running out to his team, his legs pumping. 

As he approaches, he sees Jace, Izzy, and Clary all lying out in stretchers, oxygen masks covering their faces. Another medic is extracting Magnus out of the pile of smoking scrap metal – Magnus looking tired and battered, as he struggles to stand. 

Looking at them like this makes Alec stop in his tracks – he can’t move.

He can’t move, even as Lt. Jocelyn Fairchild flashes in his field of vision and is patting him on the back, telling him that his quick thinking saved four of their best pilots, that he’s a hero – but he can’t hear any of that – and can only watch as medics zip around him, attending to Jace, Izzy, Clary, and Magnus, rushing to get them to medbay. 

Before Magnus is carted off, Magnus catches Alec’s hand and tugs it towards him with more strength that any dead man would have – which tells Alec that Magnus is going to be okay. 

He says to Alec, in a near whisper, “you saved all our lives out there,” and the emotion that fills his eyes when he looks at Alec is one that Alec knows too well – it’s the look of someone _enraptured_ – its gratitude, awe, and _wonder_. 

\--

Alec’s secret place is a bench on Deck 6, right between the doors to central cooling and a janitor’s closet. 

There’s a large bay window there, and the first time that Alec passes by, he sees the vastness of the universe reflected in it from this one singular point, a bench on Deck 6, as the deep blue Earth rotates below. 

It makes him do a double-take and he stands there for a full five minutes – before he realizes he’s late for their weekly mechanics status meeting on Deck 10. 

Over the years, he finds himself coming back to this place often – to eat lunch, when he wants to get away from people, or when he can’t sleep. 

He doesn’t tell many people about it – until Magnus comes along. It’s the place where Alec kisses Magnus for the first time. 

“Wow.” Alec says, breathless.

“Wow, indeed. And I’m not talking about the view,” Magnus says back, and he can feel Magnus’ lips curl into a smile against his own.

Nowadays though, he finds himself coming here less and less – as Lt. Fairchild pulls some strings and gets him into advanced tactics training; his breaks are preoccupied by either sparring or lengthy discussions with Izzy, Clary, and Jace about new maneuvers; and his evenings are spent more often than not with Magnus, particularly in the rec room, shooting holo-pool. 

“I used to want to be out there, y’know,” Alec tells Magnus as they stare out the window. “As a pilot. Making my mark on the universe, exploring the unknown.”

“And how is it any different to what you’re doing now?” 

Alec is startled by Magnus’ question – he turns to look at Magnus for a moment, before he turns to the window again. 

That magnetic pull that space once offered before – it’s different now, the sight of universe before him evoking a different feeling that he can’t exactly place. 

It doesn’t hold any less intrigue, he thinks, as he notices that some of the stars out there shine less bright than the chrome of the _Alicante V_ , and he turns his attention to tracing the ethereal glow of the sunlight off her planes. 

Instead, when he looks out into the depths, a warmth settles within that’s both comforting and feels like home – a feeling that’s dulled that aching yearning that’s always plagued him, especially during his younger years. 

_Serenity_ , he realizes – he’s at peace knowing that he belongs here, and that the universe wants him here too. 

And as he feels Magnus’ head rest on his shoulder, he realizes that maybe he’s already found what he’s been looking for out here all along. 

“You’re right – maybe it’s not so different after all.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!


End file.
